


The Villain Wrangler Vol. 2

by lilhawkeye3



Category: Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men: The Animated Series
Genre: Based on a Tumblr Post, Feels, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sick Character, Strong Female Characters, make-a-wish, villain wrangler au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:55:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24471652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilhawkeye3/pseuds/lilhawkeye3
Summary: Sick and injured children asking to meet the super-powered elite isn't unusual when it comes to wishes, but when one of them asks to meet an infamous villain? Someone's got to take the job. Hopefully, they've all got a compassionate side...
Comments: 61
Kudos: 293





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Villain Wrangler](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9578435) by [lilhawkeye3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilhawkeye3/pseuds/lilhawkeye3). 



> Let's consider this a trial run, yeah? After literal years of y'all asking, I now give to you a Marvel Villain Wrangler! (Yes, the title is based off a certain MCU movie).
> 
> This isn't set in any particular Marvel universe. It's gonna be a mash of a lot of them (just like the DC one). I'll try and explain where I drew the characters from in the end notes.
> 
> If you like it, please leave a kudo so I know to continue this! If you have any suggestions or characters you'd like to see, please feel free to comment! 
> 
> A dosage of real life before we begin: the goal of my DC Villain Wrangler story and this one is to show how a little more compassion and understanding for others can go a long way. All I ask is you do the same in real life too. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Be kind to each other.

It had started out a normal day at World of Wishes for Tara Knight.

She was seated at her coveted window desk, typing away mindlessly at the usual press release required for a celebrity visit to a sick child. She needed to have it done soon, as pictures always began to appear on social media quite quickly when such a famous person fulfilled a wish– especially when it was someone as showy as billionaire-superhero Tony Stark. If a snuck-in phone wasn’t the first to leak it to social media, then it’d be Stark himself who did.

She had just sent off the finished piece to the head of the publicity team and was leaned back in her chair, reaching towards the ceiling as she arched her back in a well-needed stretch after staring at her laptop screen for so long. A starling flying by the window caught her eye, and she swiveled to watch it soar on the air currents created by the block of skyscrapers. She wondered what it’d be like to fly. Ironic, considering that’s exactly what the child had asked Iron Man to do only a few days ago.

But alas, she had more work to do. Tara scooted her chair forward and cracked her knuckles, ready to dive back into her work. Every tweet, every blog post, it all came from her first before going through two others to be tweaked depending on what was trending at the moment. 

She didn’t have a chance to get far, though, as she looked up when someone approached her desk. That was odd. Her boss typically sent messages over the office network when she needed to meet with someone outside of a scheduled meeting. What was she doing coming to Tara in person?

“Hey Kirsten, is something wrong?” She asked, eyebrows furrowing. Maybe there was an update on the child from this case. Tara always dreaded that type of news, especially if it was before they could fulfill a wish.

Kirsten gave her a strained smile that sent Tara’s stomach plummeting. “If you’re not busy, can you step into my office for a moment?”

Tara nodded, shutting her laptop so it auto-locked before getting up and following Kirsten. Several of her work friends sent her questioning glances as they crossed the main floor, and Tara could only give them a shrug in response. She closed the door behind her once they were in Kirsten’s office, and she watched anxiously as her boss walked over to her desk and picked up a case file.

“You’re one of our best guest procurers,” Kirsten said as she handed it to Tara. “This one needs to be… on the down low, and I couldn’t think of a better person to do it.”

Tara smiled in thanks, but it quickly slipped off her face as she opened the folder to read the first page. “Is this real?” She blurted out as she looked back at the older woman for confirmation.

The blonde nodded, her dangle earrings swaying as she did. “Yeah, upstairs thinks it’s worth a shot.”

Tara’s eyebrows raised dramatically but she dutifully turned back to the file, reviewing the relevant information she needed to know. As much as she tried, her eyes kept drifting back to the request line.

_Kenneth Powers, age 11. Recovering from collapsed lung and lost arm in recent unknown superpowered attack on Brooklyn Bridge. Wishes to meet Magneto for help in creating a metal prosthetic arm ‘and additional request upon arrival.’_

“I need to make a phone call,” Tara muttered, rubbing at her forehead in a futile hope of reducing her forming headache at the scope of what she was being asked to do. “Several phone calls and possibly a long-distance rental car. And a heavily caffeinated drink.”

Her boss smiled widely and clapped her hands together at Tara’s acceptance. “I can certainly help with the last two! You start making phone calls– I’ll get a group order together for coffee and have it up to you before you head out.”

“You’re the best, Kirsten,” Tara said with a grin before she left the small office and went back to her desk to start her search.

* * *

As luck would have it, Tara didn’t end up needing a rental car. Her several phone calls with more famous members connected to the powered community had all suggested she contact someone she had met before, and that man had given her a meeting time and location of later that day in Central Park.

It was just after lunchtime, and the bustle of the New York City streets soothed her as she headed off the main avenue and set off into the park. Tara liked to jog on the paths on warmer mornings (she would _not_ be caught out on a rainy day), so she was well-acquainted with the park and didn’t need to check her phone to know she’d reached the designated meeting spot.

It was a picnic area with a dozen or so tables that were all set up with chess games played by people of all ages. She was glad to see some kids even partaking in the event, with several of the games surrounded by eager young spectators with matching red backpacks, probably taking a break from their field trip. Tara’s gaze drifted over the relaxed crowd, looking for the pair she expected to find. A bit of tension leaked out of her shoulders once she spotted them at the farthest table. One of them looked up as she began to walk towards them and held up a hand in greeting.

The players of this particular chess game were a pair of older men, one completely bald and the other with a neatly styled head of white hair. The bald one was wearing a spiffy grey suit, his tie in the most perfect knot Tara had ever seen, while his adversary was in black slacks and a leather jacket that Tara was sure cost at least twice as much as her cell phone. Although her view was blocked by the table, she knew that the former would also be seated in a wheelchair.

“Ms. Knight, always a pleasure,” he said in his smooth British accent, just as he had over the phone earlier that day.

Tara nodded politely as she stopped next to their table. “Wonderful to see you too, Professor Xavier. Sorry for such a last-minute request.” She wondered slightly if she should introduce herself directly to the other man or wait–

“Not to worry, Ms. Knight. As it so happens, we were in town anyways,” the Professor cut into her thoughts, a knowing twinkle in his eyes. Tara had to resist the urge to roll her eyes in response. Clearly he’d heard her and decided to help her out. “If I might introduce you to my companion, Erik Lehnsherr. Erik, this is Tara Knight from World of Wishes.”

Tara smiled as she finally turned fully towards the man she’d been looking for and held out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Lehnsherr. As I’ve told the Professor before, Tara is fine.”

She could’ve sworn Erik Lehnsherr had the same ability to read her mind due to the intensity of his gaze as he surveyed her for threats while he firmly shook her hand. “Perhaps if this was a social call, but Charles tells me you’ve come on business today.”

Tara couldn’t keep her guilt at interrupting their day from slipping into her smile. “That is correct. I’m so sorry, but I wouldn’t be seeking you out without a proper meeting if it wasn’t urgent.”

Lehnsherr raised a single eyebrow in response. “Oh? Well, Ms. Knight: how’s this?” He gestured at the chessboard on the table in front of him. “You’re welcome to explain your proposal as long as you remain in the game.”

Tara glanced down at the half-played game and tried to keep any strong emotions from showing on her face. “As long as Professor Xavier is alright with it…” She agreed conditionally, not wanting to step on any toes.

The Professor gestured welcomingly at the board. “Be my guest.”

Tara pulled up a plastic chair that had been moved to accommodate the Professor and sat adjacent to Erik Lehnsherr, but angled just enough so their ends of the chessboard could face them.

“I believe it’s your move?” She said, lacing her fingers in her lap as she carefully observed the board. There were so few pieces left. Interesting. The game had not been heading towards an easy or convenient win for either men. 

Lehnsherr silently moved one of his black knights before looking back at her expectantly. “You are here because a child wants to meet me,” he said calmly.

She wondered if they knew she was in her element. “Yes. A young boy named Kenneth lost an arm during the recent battle on the Brooklyn Bridge and wants your help with a prosthetic.” She moved a rook, neglecting to take his remaining bishop. “You may be familiar with the parties involved?”

“Familiar, yes, but uninvolved and rather disappointed in their execution of plans,” he allowed. His pawn moved to take a white counterpart. “Why should I consider this request?”

Her bishop slid to block his queen’s path if it moved towards her king. “From a publicity standpoint? To show that you are not in league with the rogues who have been the cause of the several recent battles that have ended with high civilian casualty rates and thus detract from the senators trying to use the events to villainize your cause.”

His gaze held hers for a long moment. “Interesting. Are you saying you’re in support of mutant rights?”

Tara simply tilted her head slightly in reply. “It’s your move, Mr. Lehnsherr.”

He shifted his rook. “And if I do not require the free marketing?”

Tara nudged her queen into the spot left undefended. “Then perhaps his off-the-record wish to help protect a young _innocent,_ ” she emphasized with hidden meaning, “would convince you. Of course, you’ll have to ask him about the details.” She leaned back in the chair with an inaudible sigh of relief. “I do believe we’ve come to a draw.”

Out of all the reactions she’d imagined, hearing Magneto lowly chuckling was _not_ one of them. “You are an intriguing opponent, Tara Knight.”

“Back at ya, Erik Lehnsherr.”

Tara watched curiously as he unzipped the top of his leather jacket and reached inside it, she assumed to a hidden inner pocket. Her guess was proved correct, as he pulled out a disposable cell phone and held it out for her to take. She took it with a quick thanks, turning it over in her hand as she examined it.

“I assume he’s at a city hospital?”

She pulled a folded slip of paper out of the back pocket of her jeans and gave it to him. It was the standard information sheet that wished-for guests would receive regarding their case. “He’s at NYU Medical Center in the recovery ward.”

He nodded curtly as he stowed the paper away in his inside pocket and stood. “Expect my call, Ms. Knight. Charles,” he turned towards his friend, “same time as usual?”

Professor Xavier smirked. “As always.” He and Tara watched the white haired man head off the grass and back toward the main path heading towards the West Side. “Tara, would you care for another game?”

Shaking off her surprise at the offer, Tara moved to sit in the now-vacant seat across from the Professor. “Why not? Sounds like fun.”

* * *

Tara was glad of her habit to stay awake so late at night when she heard her phone vibrating from where it rested on her desk. She placed her book down open on her bed and got up to answer it.

“Hello, this is Tara Knight.”

“Hello, Ms. Knight,” Erik Lehnsherr answered in his infamous drawl. “I will meet you at the side entrance to the University Medical Center in forty minutes.”

“I’ll meet you there,” she said with a nod, laughing slightly after she’d hung up because she knew he couldn’t see her. 

Ah, well. She’d known this case would be unusual on many counts. It was only right that this continued onto the actual visit as well.

Tara made her way across town in record time, although she had found herself glancing over her shoulder and checking dark alleys far more often than ever before. She didn’t feel like she was in danger, but she wouldn’t be surprised if Lehnsherr had sent some of his people to keep watch, just in case. Despite this, she made it to the meeting point without seeing anything suspicious.

“Hey!” She called quietly with a smile as she rounded the corner of the hospital and found Magneto waiting for her. At his side was a man in a long, hooded trench coat that Tara was sure she’d seen in grainy news footage before. While much of his face was shadowed, she could still see the light glint off his sharp canines as he silently bared his teeth in warning. She fought to keep from rolling her eyes, knowing it wouldn’t be good to aggravate the man, but she did shoot him an unimpressed stare.

“Thanks for waiting,” Tara settled on saying as she glanced at the thick double doors they stood in front of. “I don’t want to assume, but can you get us in? Otherwise I can call a friend I know who works inside…”

Magneto (she called him this as he was dressed the part with his iconic helmet in place) smirked at her as he merely flicked a finger and caused the metal doors to swing open. “After you,” he offered.

Tara had been to NYUMC many times before, mostly for her job but there had been one or two slip ups that had landed here as a patient herself. She easily led them up the stairs and through the halls towards the children’s ward.

She was glad she’d texted ahead warning of their arrival, as the lights were still on at the nurse’s station adjacent to Kenneth Power’s room. Good, he’d be awake.

Magneto’s companion let out a low growl when the nurse at the desk looked up at the sound of their footsteps. Tara held her hand out to keep the two men back.

“It’s alright,” she said softly. “I did say I had a friend inside.” She waved at the dark-skinned woman, who winked back at her. “Lydia’ll be keeping watch– both for and on us. She’s eagle-eyed,” Tara added in a teasing tone, despite being completely serious. Lydia's mutation really gave her vision an edge.

“And eagle-eared, don’t you forget!” The nurse called out playfully as she got up and went over to room 405, wrapping her knuckles gently against the frame before she opened it and popped her head in. “Kenny, sweetie, you have some visitors!” She backed away so they could enter.

Tara pointed firmly at Magneto’s bodyguard. “You can wait outside. It’s late, I don’t want to over-excite the kid.”

The mutant’s snarl was now fully trained onto her, but only for the briefest moment as Magneto cleared his throat meaningfully. 

“It’s quite alright, Victor,” the older man reassured. “I won’t be too long.”

Normally, Tara would be annoyed by such a statement, but seeing as she hadn’t truly expected Magneto to agree to such a visit, she swallowed her complaints as she led him into the room.

Kenny Powers looked like he had just woken up to see Santa Claus arriving, due to the insane bed hair he had and the way he was bouncing in excitement. He couldn’t fully get out of bed due to the various machines hooked up to him, but he had swung his legs over one side so he could sit up. The bottom half of the left arm on his long sleeve shirt dangled emptily against his side, although his right hand was gripping the prosthetic that Tara assumed was originally planned to fill his sleeve.

“Woah!” He breathed in awe as he gazed up at Magneto. Tara had moved off to one side to supervise and had to smother a laugh at the downright joy on Kenny’s face. “You really came!” His own words seemed to snap him out of his amazement as he tossed the metallic hand and forearm towards Magneto, crowing in delight when the mutant raised a single eyebrow and stopped the prosthetic mid-air.

“Ms. Knight mentioned you requested my help with this?” The mutant asked as the prosthetic rotated to allow him to inspect it.

Kenny nodded. “Yeah, it’s one of the more advanced versions but it doesn’t fit me. I’m too small,” he muttered sullenly, before perking up again. “So I was wondering if you could help resize it for me!”

“Hmm.” Magneto plucked the prosthetic out of the air as he began to manipulate it. “A relatively simple task for me.” He walked to stand in front of the boy and waited patiently as Kenny rolled his sleeve up to reveal his healed amputation site. Magneto gently but firmly grasped Kenny’s arm as he began to mold the metal prosthetic around the stump. “Was there nothing else you wanted to ask?”

Kenny chewed on his lower lip for a moment as he watched Magneto work. “I lost my arm and broke a lot of bones in the attack that happened weeks ago, on the bridge.” He shifted his stare to the white tiled floor. “My family only survived because my sister, Amelia. We didn’t know she had powers until she kept our car from flattening under a big truck. But my parents…” Tara’s heart broke a little as tears welled up in the boy’s eyes. “They’ve never liked mutants. Say ‘they’re touched by the devil.’ Even my baby sister. She’s only eight, but I think I saw a bruise on her arm the last time she visited.” He looked imploringly between Tara and Magneto, who’d gone dangerously still. “I heard that you were fighting for a safe place for mutants. Can you take Amelia? Keep her safe?”

Tara knew with 100% certainty that if Magneto couldn’t do anything, she’d take it into her own hands. She wouldn’t let that little girl go another day in such an awful situation.

It looked like she wouldn’t have to. “Your sister will not have to deal with such hatred any longer,” Magneto said slowly as he finished altering and attaching the prosthetic to Kenny’s arm and pulled away. “I know of several places she can stay securely while in my care or that of those I trust.”

Kenny’s newfound hope shone brightly through his smile. “Thank you, Mr. Magneto.”

“I am curious, though,” the older man asked as he gazed at the boy with respect. “Why didn’t you ask for one of the X-Men?”

Tara had to hold back her own grin as Kenny smirked mischievously. “Well, I _did_ technically request you only to help with my prosthetic,” he slyly informed as he wiggled his arm for emphasis.

All attention quickly turned to the door as Nurse Lydia’s quiet knocking alerted them to her presence. Tara could see the other mutant, Victor, standing warily behind her, his shoulders tense as he stared off down one end of the hallway.

“Time’s up,” Lydia told them regretfully, although Tara could see the way her eyes lit up at the sight of Kenny’s new forearm. “Security’s almost here on their rounds– y’all need to head out.”

With a solemn nod from Magneto and a cheerful wave of Kenny’s new hand, Tara led the two men out of the wing and back the way they came, down the four flights to the ground floor and then out into the alley they’d arrived in.

“Thank you for coming tonight,” Tara said as she turned to leave. Her part of the job was over, and she figured that the two mutants wouldn’t want her to see which direction they departed in. “You’ve helped set Kenny on a path to truly healing, something no one else has been able to do for him.”

Her back was already to them when she heard Magneto’s response. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to do so, Tara Knight.”

Mission accomplished.

She had already rounded the corner, so perhaps the next words were conjured up by her imagination. Either way, the grudging respect she heard in the gravelly voice was the cherry on top of her night.

“Not what I expected from a normal civilian.”

* * *

It was no surprise when Tara saw the headline later that week: _Girl disappears during visit with injured brother at NYC hospital!_

The following phone call informing her that Amelia Powers had been temporarily brought to Professor Xavier’s school, under the condition she be allowed to keep contact with her brother, was thus understandable and extremely appreciated.

The file Tara’s boss handed her the next day with the instructions of “Work your magic again, Tara!” was _far_ less appreciated once she read the requested name.

Looked like this was set to be her new reality.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll think of some punny chapter titles later when it's not 4am lmao

Tara regretted ever thinking her previous assignment had been difficult.

Yes, she’d gone in not knowing how the dangerous mutant leader of the Brotherhood would react. Yes, she’d had to go with little notice in the middle of the night to make the meeting happen. But in every other regard, the meeting had gone fairly normal. 

The same could not be said for any World of Wishes visit regarding Tony Stark. 

The man was a complete attention whore. What had been scheduled as a private meeting with a young boy being fitted with a Stark Industry exoskeleton on his legs to help him walk had turned into an event for the entire wing as Stark interacted with patients, family and staff alike. Tara wasn’t heartless enough to bring a stop to it, as she knew how important this surprise was to some of them, but nevertheless the situation was frustrating because she’d been inadequately able to prepare for it. 

Superhero visits were regulated strictly by both the hospitals and World of Wishes: depending on how many people they were slated to meet, a certain number of security officers were required to be on hand. There were certain villainous individuals and organizations who didn’t care about the presence of innocents if they saw a good opportunity to strike against a nemesis.

“I’m sorry you have to put up with his antics.” Tara turned around to see Pepper Potts walking up to her, dressed to the nines in her professional wear as always. Hell, sometimes she wished she had been blessed with Pepper’s sense of fashion. “I know it’s not your first rodeo, but still…”

“He’s not your kid, Pepper,” Tara waved off her apology with a laugh. “You don’t need to apologize for him.”

Pepper gave her a grateful smile. “Well yes, but he’s still my boyfriend…”

Tara rolled her eyes. “Pepper, if I didn’t want to be here, I’d be sure to inform you in advance. Don’t worry about it. Just– keep him from blowing anything up as a demonstration?”

“Deal,” Pepper agreed with a laugh. “Thank you again, Tara. I’ll treat you to dinner sometime when we’re both free.”

“Oh, _yes_ please.” Tara practically moaned at the thought of the five-star level food of Pepper’s past dining spots she’d taken her too. As she saw Tony coming their way, Tara made sure to raise her voice playfully. “Tony, be careful, I might just steal Pepper from you!”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Go get your own brilliant CEO girlfriend if you want one,” he blandly replied as he stopped to press a kiss to Pepper’s cheek. “Honey, will you get mad if I donate some money to the hospital? Their PT wing could use some upgrades.”

Pepper gave a mixture of a fond and exasperated sigh. “How  _ much  _ is ‘some money?’”

“Oh… two million or so. Three, tops.”

“We’ll talk about it when we get home,” she settled on saying.

“Yes, dear.” Tony went back to play with the clamoring kids while Pepper and Tara stayed on the sidelines to supervise. Tara turned to say something to Pepper, but just as she opened her mouth, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She moved to check her work cell, until she realized the vibrations were coming from her other pocket: the burner phone she’d received from Magneto.

She’d sent a text the previous day, after her searches on her next secretive request went nowhere. The person she was looking for had been laying low recently, and when dealing with someone of this particular skill set, “laying low” equaled “being completely impossible to find.” 

“I’m really sorry, but I have to take this,” she apologized to Pepper. The redhead waved her off without issue, and Tara left her side to go stand in the corner of the room before she answered the call. “Tara Knight speaking.”

_ “Ah, Ms, Knight.” _ She was slightly surprised to hear Magneto’s smooth voice come through the speakers, figuring he might have passed off this task to one of his followers in the Brotherhood.  _ “You seek my assistance?” _

“If it’s within your power, I would be immensely grateful if you could help,” she agreed. “I’ve been looking for an associate of yours, Mystique? A young girl with a terminal illness has requested to meet her, and I was tasked with tracking Mystique down, but…” She let out a mixture of a laugh and a sigh. “I’m sure you’re aware how well she is at being untraceable.”

His chuckling was fairly reassuring to her.  _ “I’ll consider it, but I make no promises, my dear. I suggest you continue your search in the meantime, just in case. Although, believe me when I say this: if she agrees to hear you out, she’ll find you before you find her.” _

“Oh.” Tara’s eyes widened, unsure if he was giving her advice or passing on a threat from the other mutant. “I’ll keep that in mind, sir.” She didn’t want to risk saying his name where she could be overheard. “Thank you for your help.”

_ “Have a good day, Ms. Knight.” _ The line clicked off.

Well, there wasn't much else she could do at the moment. She’d have plenty of time to deal with this next case later… after she made sure everyone came out of this Stark “meet and greet” with their limbs intact.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set when she returned home for the day hours later, having stopped for groceries on her way back. The golden sunlight shining through the skyscrapers glinted in her eyes as she stepped up to the door of her apartment building, and she found herself stumbling as a result.

“Oh dear, are you alright? Here, let me get one of those bags for you.”

Tara regained her footing as a pair of hands slowly grabbed one of the bags from her hands before it could tear open and fall to the ground.

“Oh thank you…” She looked up to see it was one of her neighbors on her floor who had come to her rescue. She gave the woman a strained smile as she shifted her remaining bag more securely in her arms. “Reese, I thought my eggs and milk were gonna be goners for a moment there.”

The older brunette grinned kindly back at her as Tara led them to the door and punched in her keycode. “Anytime, Tara. I’ll help you carry these up.”

Tara nodded in agreement as she held the door open for Reese to go through first. She let out a relieved sigh as they entered the air conditioned lobby and let the door close behind them as they headed for the elevator.

“How was your day?” Reese asked as the elevator landed on their level with a soft ding and opened for them. “It’s certainly a hot one today!”

“It was alright,” Tara replied as they stepped in and she pressed the button for their floor. When she backed away from the panel, she made sure she was standing on Reese's right, so her hand was blocked by her grocery bag as she reached down to pull something from her cross-body bag. “Luckily, I was inside working for most of the day, so I haven’t been outside in the heat much.”

Reese hummed in understanding. “Well you didn’t miss much! I just came back from a run through the park. Almost considered taking a jump in the pond!” 

Tara grinned as the elevator came to a stop and opened on their floor. “Always tomorrow to try that,” she joked as they exited into the hallway and Tara headed for Reese's door, which was the opposite direction from hers. Her jaw tightened as Reese laughed and didn’t question where they were headed, and she tightened her hold on the item that she’d pulled from her purse and had hidden in her hand.

“Well, here we are!” Tara said in a fake cheery voice as she stopped in front of Reese’s door. “I can take it from here.”

“Aw, dear, it’s alright! I can help bring them in, I'm in no rush.”

Tara bent down to place her shopping bag on the ground, as if she was moving to unlock the door. Instead, she spun on her heel and fell into a defensive stance facing Reese. Her hand was raised warningly in her neighbor’s direction, the small bottle pepper-spray she’d slipped out of her purse held at the ready. She pulled her phone out of her pocket with her other hand, her thumb hovering over the power button, ready to press it five times and activate the emergency alarm.

“Funny you said that, because this is Reese’s apartment, and you’re not her. You’ve got three seconds to start talking.”

All signs of levity left “Reese's” posture and expression as she stood ramrod straight, reminding Tara of a gymnast. her eyes narrowed dangerously as she pulled her shoulders back and stared down at Tara. “How did you know?”

“Reese jogs in the mornings. And besides, she’s on a business trip. Asked me to look after her place.”

The fake-Reese observed her silently for several moments, and Tara found herself preparing to activate her pepper spray when the other woman gave a short nod. “You’ll do.”

“Excuse me?”

The woman’s amused huff was reminiscent of a nature video where a battle-worn lioness watched over a cub learning to pounce for the first time. “I won’t repeat myself,” she replied with a raised eyebrow. “You were the one looking for me, after all.”

“Prove it,” Tara ordered, not yet willing to relax.

“Smart,” the fake Reese praised dryly. “Only a bit though– there’s a security camera pointing our way from behind me, and I’d rather not be seen.” At Tara’s nod of approval, a ripple of blue crossed the left side of her face as Reese's features washed away and were replaced with vibrant cobalt skin and a bright yellow eye. “Satisfied?”

Well, it was hard to argue with that.

* * *

Tara tried not to let her curiosity get the better of her as she poured two glasses of wine at her bar kitchen, despite the very blue mutant in gray sweatpants and a white tank top seated on her couch. She had been the one looking for Mystique anyways, and it wouldn’t do to be rude by staring at her. The woman was probably sick of that sort of attention after all these years anyways.

Tara made her way over to her sitting area with both glasses in hand and gave one to her guest before she took a seat on the far end of the couch. “So… sorry to be blunt, but why did you come here?” She paused for a moment as another thought struck her. “And also, how did you know where I lived?” 

Mystique shrugged blithely as she sipped at her wine. “The internet really does know everything if you know where to look,” she simply said, before she raised her glass towards Tara. “You have good taste. As for why I’m here? Erik and I may have our differences, but I still pick up the phone when he calls. Usually.” She smirked.

There was  _ definitely _ a story to be told there, but Tara did  _ not  _ feel like being dragged into any superhuman drama, so she wisely kept her mouth shut.

“Besides, I had some free time,” Mystique continued. “After seeing what you were capable of, it did seem worth hearing you out.”

“Wait… what I’m capable of?” Tara echoed back in confusion. 

The blue mutant raised a perfect eyebrow. “According to the gossip sites, you’re the only liaison ever present when Stark visits hospitals. We all know what a loose cannon he is, yet you seem to keep the events incident-free.”

“Okay… fair enough.”

“What do you need from me?”

Tara slipped her work phone out of her back pocket, opened it to the pulled up case file, and leaned forward to hand it to Mystique. She settled back and took another long sip of her drink as she watched the mutant scroll through the file. “Paige is seven years old and going through chemotherapy… her mother died a year or so ago from a related genetic cancer. Paige has been declining lately and asking if there’s a way to see her mother again.” She sighed and rubbed at her cheek tiredly. “We’ve collected videos and photos from friends and family, but then her aunt asked if her wish could be extended to any shapeshifters or magic users willing to help.”

Mystique nodded absently and pursed her lips as she continued to read, and Tara distracted herself by looking out her window and sipping on her drink. She didn’t want to make her uncomfortable when she was here to ask for a large favor.

The silence was broken a few minutes later when Mystique handed the phone back. “How soon can this be arranged?”

Tara looked back at the redhead with a slight frown as she considered. “Off the top of my head, tomorrow evening I believe.”

“That’s acceptable.” Mystique tipped her head back as she drained the rest of her glass and then licked her lips. “Before I go, do you mind if I get a refill? It’s been a while since I’ve had a wine night.”

Tara blinked in surprise for a moment before she openly gestured towards her kitchen. “Go for it.”

As the tall redhead winked at her before she got up and sauntered towards the bottle resting on the countertop, Tara lounged deeper into the soft cushions of her couch as she took another liberal sip of wine. 

It seemed this was quickly becoming her new sense of norm. If it kept up like this, she’d need more caffeine to start getting through the day.

* * *

The visit was… not what she was expecting, to say the least.

Tara hung towards the back of the room, out of Paige’s sight as Mystique held her hand and sang softly to her from where she sat next to the girl’s hospital bed. She was the spitting image of Paige’s mother, and as she watched the girl’s hazy eyes begin to droop shut, Tara wondered if she’d fully remember this moment. Maybe she’d think it to be a dream, but either way, it’d hopefully give her a happy memory to cling to as she fought for her life.

Paige had been asleep for quite a while by the time that their second hour was up, and Tara moved to inform Mystique that they’d have to be on their way soon. She was surprised to find the mutant staring at the pristine white sheets with a vacant look in her currently-brown eyes.

“I’m a mother too,” Mystique murmured after a long moment. “But not one like Paige’s. It’s strange to think that now, for a moment... I was there to comfort.”

Tara didn’t think Mystique would be one for hugs, so she gave the woman a soft smile instead. “You’ve eased her pain. She can sleep easy now with the memory of her mother watching over her one last time.”

Mystique didn’t respond verbally, but Tara still caught sight of the way her brow furrowed in thought. Whatever epiphany she’d had was weighing heavily on her, but any evidence of it was smoothed away from her expression as she rested Paige’s hand gently on her stomach and quietly stood so Tara could escort her out.

She made sure to wait for an empty elevator on their way down, wanting to have one last moment in private with Mystique before the woman left. As the doors slid shut, Tara noticed how much calmer the air was between them than the day before, when the mutant had masqueraded as her neighbor. 

“Hey,” she called softly, gaining the other woman’s attention as she pulled a long, white paper bag out of her purse. “Consider this a thank you for giving me a chance– I promise, it won’t bite,” she added with a grin. “I happened to have an extra bottle, and since you liked it so much...”

Mystique carefully took the parcel and unrolled the top to look inside, a similar smile then spreading across her face. “You’ll do,” she repeated her praise from the previous day. “I’ll remember this.”

Tara hung back as the elevator reached the bottom floor with a ding and opened to the bustling lobby. She didn’t bother trying to keep Mystique in sight– she’d already blended into the crowd and vanished without a trace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pepper Potts: MCU version. Tony : mix of MCU and Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Mystique can be any version you want honestly. Mystique’s children are Nightcrawler, Rogue, and Graydon Creed.
> 
> Sorry this took so long. I started this a month ago but kinda burned out of ideas so I put it aside for a while. Thank you for all the reviews! Mystique was one of the most requested ones so it was fun to write her. I think we'll be straying away from X-Men characters for the next chapter, but for now, this will stay here (bc I'm lazy). Thanks as always for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Professor X and Magneto: mainly from the X-Men movies, but bits from the 90's cartoon as well.


End file.
